MetroWest lawmakers outline 2017 priorities

Local lawmakers have identified a range of priorities for the new year, including criminal justice reform, budgeting and continuing to support the communities they serve.

Here's a look at some priorities for several local incumbent lawmakers:

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton:

Criminal justice reform: Eldridge hopes the state will repeal mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses because those people need treatment rather than jail. He also hopes to increase the dollar amount for a felony larceny charge from its current $250. That figure dates to the 1980s, he said.
Workers: Eldridge would like to see the minimum wage increased to $15/hour and a paid family leave bill passed. Eldridge backed a family and medical leave bill in 2016 that would have created a system for paid, job-protected leave for employees who need time to recover from a serious health condition or to care for a new child or ill family member.
Taxes: He said he hopes lawmakers look at corporate taxes. "Massachusetts continues to give these large tax breaks to corporations while there are just more and more people struggling to make ends meet. I think we need to reverse that trend," he said.
Responding to Republicans in Washington: Lawmakers will need to look at how to respond to potential actions President-elect Donald Trump and Republican federal lawmakers take. Massachusetts lawmakers may have to look at health care, education funding, protecting immigrants and other areas, he said.

State Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Webster:

Upholding the will of the people: Fattman hopes to change rules so lawmakers cannot delay implementation of voter-approved ballot questions as they did with recently passed legislation that would delay licensing of retail marijuana outlets by six months. While Fattman was against the recreational marijuana ballot question, it is important to respect the will of the people, he said.
Electronic backpacks: Fattman wants to see the passage of legislation previously proposed that would provide for foster children and youth in the care of the state Department of Children and Families to have school and medical records in an electronic format. Paper records can be lost, leading to children being immunized twice or being placed in the wrong grade, he said.
Protecting first responders: Fattman said he wants to ensure people who assault a first responder face felony charges.

State Rep. Danielle Gregoire, D-Marlborough:

Human trafficking: Gregoire praised work Attorney General Maura Healey has done in this area. Gregoire hopes to tackle measures to assist survivors of human trafficking, she said.
Financial literacy: She would like to find a way to add lessons on student debt and other financial matters to the curriculum without burdening school districts.
Housing: Gregoire said officials need to help people about to lose their homes before they are out on the street.
Communities: She hopes to continue helping communities in her district with their priorities, she said.

State Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick:

Health insurance: No matter what federal officials may do with Obamacare, Linsky said he wants "to make sure Massachusetts continues to have universal coverage and that Massachusetts residents have the same benefits that they do today."
School funding: Linsky said he expects lawmakers will consider changes to how the state funds public schools. He said he wants to ensure communities he represents are well served.
Criminal justice: Linsky expects lawmakers to review criminal justice-related topics, including post-release supervision and whether current mandatory minimum sentences are appropriate. The state needs to do a better job preparing people who are incarcerated for release, he said.
Linsky said he is excited to continue assisting with school building projects in Natick and Millis and a library building project in Sherborn.

State Sen. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham:

Marijuana law: Ross says the new recreational marijuana law needs to be improved. "It is imperative that we do it the right way, and address the serious public health and safety issues that were not properly outlined in the ballot language," he said in a statement.
Patent trolls: These are people or companies that falsely allege patent infringement and seek payment from victims. Ross plans to pursue legislation to stop patent trolling, which "has had an extremely detrimental effect on many businesses in my district and across the commonwealth," he said.
Ross said he also plans to focus on district priorities "such as local aid, education funding, public safety, and economic development, while striving to maintain a cost effective and transparent government."

State Rep. Jeff Roy, D-Franklin:

Teen sexting: Roy plans to again pursue legislation to give police a new tool for handling teen sexting incidents. Police currently can only charge a minor who sent or received an inappropriate picture with a felony child pornography charge. Roy would like to see a new misdemeanor charge available for police to charge youth 17 and younger. Education is also important, he said.
Explosive gas detectors: These devices detect highly volatile gases such as propane and should be required in homes where these gases are present, Roy said. They are similar to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, he said.
Education: Roy wants to increase the study of civics and genocide in schools and improve protection of student data.

State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland:

Budget: Spilka, the Senate Ways and Means chairwoman, said she will focus on developing a responsible fiscal 2018 budget, which should support people in need and cities and towns while helping stimulate the economy. Officials also need to find ways to reign in increasing health care costs, she said.
Spilka supports the paid family and medical leave bill, which passed the Senate in 2016 but did not become law. Reducing income inequality should also be a focus. People who work 40 hours per week should not be living in poverty, she said.
Criminal justice reform: Officials need to look at alternatives to jail for adults and juveniles and consider raising the ages the juvenile justice system serves. Research shows people's brains are not fully developed until they are in their mid-20s. And, putting someone as young as 7 years old in the juvenile system is not solving what is likely a problem with the child's family, she said.

State Rep. Chris Walsh, D-Framingham:

Housing court: The housing court covers about 2/3 of the state, but Walsh would like to see it expanded statewide, including to his district. Housing courts feature mediation services and judges who solely deal with construction and housing topics and are very knowledgeable about relevant laws, Walsh said.
Building codes: Walsh would like to see improved coordination of construction codes, he said.
Transportation: The state needs to invest more in its transportation system. Tolls should be added to other areas of the state so people who drive on the Massachusetts Turnpike are no longer unfairly tolled, he said.
Downtown Framingham: Walsh hopes to continue helping downtown Framingham become more vibrant. That effort should include MassBay Community College opening a downtown campus, he said.
Walsh's other priorities include working on elder services and education initiatives.

Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter@bbensonmwdn.